Frame curing is an indispensable step in a manufacturing procedure of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display device. Therefore, when the thin film transistor liquid crystal display device is designed, it is necessary to take relevant influences of a frame curing step into consideration. Existing frame curing manners mainly include a conventional one and a slit one, which will be further explained in the following. However, it is hard to achieve a narrow-framed design through either of the above manners.
FIG. 1 shows a first type of frame curing step in the prior art, i.e., the conventional frame curing step. As shown in FIG. 1, when this frame curing step is used, a liquid crystal display panel is designed to include an array substrate 15, a color filter substrate 11, and an LCD layer (not shown in the figure) disposed therebetween, wherein a periphery of the LCD layer is provided with a frame 16 for package of liquid crystals. The color filter substrate 11 is provided with a black matrix (BM) 12 for shading light on a side thereof facing the LCD layer, and meanwhile, the black matrix 12 is provided with a first alignment film 13 at a portion thereof in contact with the liquid crystals. On the other hand, the array substrate 15 is provided, on a side thereof facing the LCD layer, with a metal layer 17 used for formation of a thin film transistor and the like. Meanwhile, the array substrate 15 is further provided with a second alignment film 14 on a portion thereof in contact with the liquid crystals. As FIG. 1 clearly indicates, the black matrix (BM) 12 is not provided in an inner side of the color filter substrate 11 at a place corresponding to the frame 16. That is, the black matrix 12 of the color filter substrate 11 does not extend to the place corresponding to the frame 16. However, the metal layer 17 provided along an inner side of the array substrate 15 is complete. When the conventional frame curing step is performed, ultraviolent light 18 illuminates the frame 16 to be cured through the color filter substrate 11. Thus, in the frame curing step, there is no requirements on the light transmittance of the array substrate 15, thereby enabling the arrangement of the metal layer 17 free from any influences. However, the black matrix (BM) 12 in the place of the side of the color filter substrate corresponding to the frame 16 should be removed. In order to prevent an occurrence of light leakage from an edge portion of a liquid crystal display panel during normal display when a backlight (BL) normally illuminates from the array substrate 15, edge portions of the liquid crystal display panel except a place where the frame 16 is coated should all be shielded by the black matrix (BM) 12. Meanwhile, the place where the frame 16 is coated will also be covered up with a light proof structure during design. Thus, the edges of the entire liquid crystal display panel are required to be sufficiently large. Therefore, at present, the conventional frame curing step is substantially being used for a large-sized product, but not for a small-sized product, especially a liquid crystal display panel which employs a narrow-framed design and has a gate driver in array (GIA).
FIG. 2 shows a second type of frame curing step in the prior art, i.e., the slit-type frame curing step. As shown in FIG. 2, when this frame curing step is used, a liquid crystal display panel is designed to include an array substrate 25, a color filter substrate 21, and an LCD layer (not shown in the figure) disposed therebetween, wherein a periphery of the LCD layer is provided with a frame 26 for package of liquid crystals. The color filter substrate 21 is provided with a black matrix (BM) 22 for shading light on a side thereof facing the LCD layer, and meanwhile, the black matrix 22 is provided with a first alignment film 23 on a portion thereof in contact with the liquid crystals. On the other hand, the array substrate 25 is provided, on a side thereof facing the LCD layer, with a metal layer 27 used for formation of a thin film transistor and the like. Meanwhile, the array substrate 25 is further provided with a second alignment film 24 on a portion thereof in contact with the liquid crystals. As FIG. 2 clearly indicates, the black matrix (BM) 22 is provided in an inner side of the color filter substrate 21 at a place corresponding to the frame 26. That is, the black matrix 22 of the color filter substrate 21 extends all the way to the place corresponding to the frame 26. However, the metal layer 27 provided along an inner side of the array substrate 25 has slits. When the slit-type frame curing step is performed, ultraviolent light 28 illuminates the array substrate 25. In this case, there are strict requirements on light transmittance of the metal layer 27. However, the black matrix (BM) 22 provided along the inner side of color filter substrate 21 is complete and extends all the way to the place corresponding to the frame 26. Such being the case, light leakage from an edge portion of the liquid crystal display panel will not occur. Meanwhile, it will be unnecessary to cover up the place of the frame 26 during design of the liquid crystal display device. Therefore, the second-type frame curing step can be suitable for a display device using a narrow-framed design. However, as stated above, the second-type frame curing step has requirements on the light transmittance of the metal layer 27 of the array substrate 25, which should be generally higher than 30%. Currently, the metal layer 27 corresponding to the place of the frame 26 is typically formed with a plurality of slits, so as to ensure the light transmittance. Nevertheless, for a product having a gate driver in array (GIA), a thin film transistor thereof will have rather a large size and a low light transmittance. In view of this, at present, the frame 26 is coated at a place which is moved outward accordingly, so as to avoid interference with the gate driver in array (GIA). This, however, will render a narrow-framed design impossible. As can be concluded, the second-type frame curing step is unsuitable for a display device which employs a narrow-framed design and has a gate driver in array (GIA).